The Rest Is History

Latest Episodes:

674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4) May 27, 2026

Show notes

Why did the British nurse, Edith Cavell, become a key player in the Belgian Resistance to German occupation? How did she carry out her mission? And, why was she ultimately executed, so controversially?

Join Dominic and Tom as they unfold the life of the remarkable Edith Cavell, her time as a nurse, her espionage, and ultimately her tragic fate, amidst the death and destruction of the First World War.

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Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

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Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠

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To read our new newsletter, sign up at:

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Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com

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Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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673. The First World War: The Submarine Strikes (Part 3) May 24, 2026

Show notes

Was the Lusitania merely an ocean liner like Titanic, or a formidable battle ship? How and why did a German U-boat fleet manage to bring down this titan of the sea? And, how did the tragedy ignite the United States’ decision to finally join the War in 1917?

Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into one of the most cataclysmic events of the First World War, and a major turning point for America’s intervention….

To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

_______

Advertise with us: ⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

672. The First World War: Italy’s Doomed Campaign (Part 2) May 20, 2026

Show notes

How did Italy enter the First World War alongside the Allies in 1915? What were they hoping to gain? And, why was their attempt to invade the Austro-Hungarian Empire one of the bloodiest campaigns of the entire war?

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss Italy’s entrance into the War, their disastrous efforts to carve out a corner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the terrible aftermath of this brutal conflict.

To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

_______

Advertise with us: ⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Empress Matilda: Civil War and the Fight for the Throne May 19, 2026

Show notes

How did Matilda, princess of England, become Empress of the Holy Roman Empire in 1110? What disbarred her from becoming queen of England after her father's death? And, why did she go to battle for the throne of England, in the brutal civil war known as The Anarchy?

In this new member’s-only mini series, Tom is joined by historian and author Helen Castor, to talk about some of the most impressive queens of medieval Europe.

To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠

_______

Advertise with us: ⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

671. The First World War: Blood in the Trenches (Part 1) May 17, 2026

Show notes

During the First World War, what was it like to live in the trenches on the Western Front in 1915? How did the Germans attempt to knock the Allies out of the war right from the outset? And, what secret weapon did the Germans unleash?

Join Dominic and Tom as they plunge back into the First World War, and carry us through life in the trenches, the horrors of shelling, and the escalation of this totemic conflict.

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

To read our new newsletter, sign up at:

therestishistory.com/newsletters

Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

670. Tom Holland Meets Paul McCartney May 14, 2026

Show notes

How was Paul McCartney influenced by life in postwar Liverpool? How did he and the Beatles first learn to make music? And were they influenced by literature as well as other musicians?

Join Tom Holland as he asks Paul McCartney these questions and more in a very special interview for The Rest Is History which features a WORLD EXCLUSIVE reveal of one of the songs from Paul’s new album, Salesman Saint. The full album, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, is out May 29th.

Salesman Saint'

From the album 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane'

Written by Paul McCartney

Published by MPL Communications, Ltd administered by MPL Communications, Inc

To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠⁠

_______

Advertise with us: ⁠⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠⁠

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

669. Greece vs. Persia: The Battle of Marathon (Part 2) May 13, 2026

Show notes

Why did the Battle of Marathon change the world so considerably? How did the battle itself unfold? And, could the Athenians really triumph over the indomitable Persian Empire…?

Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the terrible Battle of Marathon, and its aftermath.

To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠

_______

Advertise with us: ⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

668. Greece vs Persia: The Rise of the First Superpower (Part 1) May 10, 2026

Show notes

Why did the Persian Empire cross the Aegean to destroy Athens in 490BC? Who was Darius, the King of Kings, and the most powerful man in the world? And, how did this totemic invasion unfold?

Join Tom and Dominic as they launch into one of the most cataclysmic clashes in all ancient history: Persia’s invasion of Greece.

To read our new newsletter, sign up at:

⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

_______

Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

667. The Mystery of the Mona Lisa May 06, 2026

Show notes

Is there a secret meaning behind the Mona Lisa’s famously ambiguous smile? What light does the painting shed upon Renaissance Italy, and Leonardo da Vinci himself? And, who is the mysterious man or woman in the painting…?

Join Dominic and Tom as they unfold the secret history behind the world’s most famous painting, and delve into the story behind its creator and creation.

To read our new newsletter, sign up at:

⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

_______

Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

666. Wine and the Birth of Civilisation May 03, 2026

Show notes

What does The Odyssey teach us about the history of wine in the ancient world? How did Julius Caesar use wine to conquer the world? And, why was The Judgement of Paris - when America took on France - the most controversial incident in the history of wine?

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the long history of wine; from ancient Jordan, to Bronze Age Greece, to the Vikings, and beyond…

To read our new newsletter, sign up at:

⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠

_______

Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.

_______

Pre-order your copy of A History of the World in 51 Heroes and Villains now: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/history-of-the-world-in-51-heroes-and-villains-9781037211546/

_______

Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory